Poultry such as chickens that produce eggs for human consumption are frequently maintained in chicken houses where a large number of the chickens are feed controlled diets in a controlled atmosphere so as to maximize egg production and the health of the poultry. One of the perferred structural arrangements for chicken houses is to provide an enlongated house having raised platforms extending along each side of the house and a center isle at ground level between the platforms. The surfaces of the platforms are formed from spaced slats, and water and food are provided to the chickens on the platforms. Thus, the chickens feed on the platforms and the droppings from the chickens tend to fall through the spaced slats to the ground below the platform. In the center isle between the raised platforms a layer of wood shavings is usually spread on the ground, and the chickens use this space for breeding. The nests where the chickens are inclined to lay their eggs rest with one end supported by the platforms and the other end supported by cables from the roof truss of the chicken house, so that the nests extend out away from the raised platforms and over the center aisle.
Chickens are usually placed in the chicken houses after they are ten to twelve weeks old, and after the chickens are approximately 25 weeks old they usually begin laying eggs. After the chickens have been in the chicken houses from 36 to 42 weeks, their egg production begins to decrease, and the chickens are then removed from the chicken house and slaughtered for sale as baking hens, etc. Before a new flock of chickens is received in the chicken houses the slatted platforms, nests, feeders and other elements are removed from the chicken houses so as to clean out the litter and old shavings, the elements of the chicken house are cleaned, and after the elements have been cleaned they are replaced in the chicken house. It is desirable to be able to move trucks and other tall vehicles into a chicken house, along the center aisle of the chicken house, in order to load and unload the nests, platforms, etc., and to remove the litter and to supply the new shavings, etc. Thus, it is necessary that the truss system for the roof structure be high at the center of the chicken house to accommodate the vehicles and equipment. The chicken houses are therefore constructed not only to enhance egg production, but to expedite the cleaning of the houses between flocks of chickens.
When chickens are present in a chicken house and eggs are to be gathered, it is customary to stack the eggs in egg trays that are shaped to receive individual eggs, and to hand carry the trays or place the trays on rolling carts to carry the trays from one end to the other end of the chicken house and then to an egg room where the eggs are temporarily stored for later pickup and delivery by an egg distributor. Because of the large number of chickens present in a typical chicken house and therefore the large number of eggs to be gathered therein, the gathering of eggs is a tedious and awkward process.